Steam-trap.



Patented Apr. 23, 1918n STEAM TRAP. AEPLcATloN FILED ocT.15.1915.

VR C.STANFORD.

LAU

iiiarrian eritema narrar arriba.

FRANK C. STANFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSGNOR OF ONE-'HALF 'TO'GEORGE V,$13.

. BRETT, O1? CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. z

stream-raar.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rarement apr. es, mie.

Application led October 15, 1915.` Serial No. 56,134.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK C. STANFORD,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county ofCook, and State of-Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.y

My invention relates to improvements vin steam traps generally, but hasspecial reference to steam traps of the class used forintermittentlydischarging the water-of condensation from the heating units of steam-vheating systems, and the like.

lnj the operation of such 'systems much trouble and expense isy causedbythe clogging of the traps with scale' and sediment, hereinafter calledsolids, as from the radiators or heating units with which the traps areconnected;.and as a rule clogged traps canonly be cleaned by taking themapart. v I

The primary object of `my invention is to overcome this difficulty bymeans or devices arranged within'the trap itself; so that `it shall notbe necessary toV open the trap; in the' sense of dismembering it., Aspecial object of the' invention is to provide a-trap of such form thatthe discharge orifice for steam and water, hereinafter called fluids,shall always be open, and not encroaclied upon by the accumulation ofsolids from the connected piping or heating unit. More specifically, myobject is to provide a steam trap of the intermittent automatic typethat shall be formed to exclude the solids from the fluids dischargeorifice of the trap and contain means for separately collecting anddischarging the solids from the trap. A further object is to providemeans for posi tively clearing or scraping the walls of' such traps, toinsure the complete discharge of the solids when the trap. is opened torelease them. Other incidental objects of my invention will'appearhereinafter.

My invention consists generally in a trap which comprises a casinghaving a suitable inlet opening and in its bottom provided with a solidsvdischarge orifice, in combination with a solids valve normally closingsaid orifice, and itself containing a uids discharge orifice,a fluidsvalve normally closing said fluids orifice, means for lifting bothvalves, and a screen mow able with the csolidsa valve and separating thefluids valve from the remainder of the Y ed claims.

casing, operable in the manner and for the purposes hereinafterdescribed.

My invention also consists in various novel details of constructionand-in combinations of parts, also hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out inthe append- The invention will be morei'eadilygunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, and in whichzl i y Figure 1, is a verticalsection of a steam trap embodying my invention, showing also a portionof a steam radiator vor heating unit connected therewith..

Fig. 2 isan enlarged vertical section of my novel steam trap, depictingthe solids Y valve in raised position; i Fig. 3, isa horizontal section,on the line mc0fFig-25 Fig. 4t is a topview of the valve; and, Fig. 5isa sectional detail taken from Fig. 2 and showing both the solids valveand the fluids valve in closed positions.

Referring to Fig. l, A is typical of an ordinary steam radiator, havingan outlet, Af, that is connected with the inlet, B, and

the steam trap casing, or body, C. rThe casing has a return pipeconnection, D, at, the bottom, by which it is `ioined to the returnpipe, E, of the heating system. yThe duty `of the trap is to maintain aconstant and clear vacuum or return connection between the return pipe,E, and the radiator, and to intermittently dischargethe water ofcondensation that collects in the radiator, A. In lieu of the kfaultyconstructions in common use within the casing of the trap, I substituteparts which provide forthe reliable performance of its duties and at thesame time provide for the separation of the solids from the fluids andfor the effective clearing of the trap as often as may bedesirechwithont in any manner dismemberh ing the trap.

i prefer that the bottom portion of the casing, C, shallbe'semi-globular or hoppered, and that the inlet shall be above thatportion. The bottom contains alaige orifice, DQslia-ped to form afvalveseat, D. By this orifice tlie casing is placed in com munication withthe pipe, E. f

Centrally in the cap or head, fl', of the casing is a slidable rod orstein, F. The

joint around the rod is made tight" by a imV packing gland, C. is shown,the rod, F,

is in axial alinement with .the orifice, D, and1 is -ree to move towardand from the same. The upper end of therod has a hand wheel, F, which,as hereinafter explained,

is used for raising and lowering the rod and also for rotating it.

' Attached to the rod, fF, at a point vbelow the head, C', is a disk orinner head, G. The means of rigid attachmentmay be a screwv thread, G.From the part, G, a

f screen traine, H, is suspended. The upper f parto' the"ra1nel-l, iscovered with wire I that lits upon the seat, G.

with.

` Y A valve, I,is provided Vfor the orifice, H4;

being supplied, preferably, by thelower end of the tube, I, that'loosely lits the vlower part of the stem or rod, F. Upon the tube, I',is liXed a small hollen7 iioat, J. The tube,

.1 -I', including the fpart thereof which forms f the valve, I, is oless length than the dis- -tance between the ring or seat, H5, and theunderside ofthe part, G. The Vval-ve, I

andkattached float may therefore rise and fall within the screen casing.

If desired, ther-light frame parts or bars, H6, of the, screen frame mayextend from top to bottom, andfthere directly join the valve', H3, tothe head, G, .and rod, F. But

l I indV that theparts work better when the screen has considerableweight and therefore I prefer that the lower part of the screen frameshall bek amore solidstructure. In such case I preferably `providethelower lpart of the screen -frame or member with a number of smallperforations H7 to Ypre- -vent its acting as a float.

On the bottom kand side ofthe screen is a Irib,1K; curved; to lit-thebottom surface of valves, H3, and, I, normally rest upon rethecasing, asbest shown in Figs. l and 5.

As there is no means to normally support either the screen, H, orthefloat, J, the

spective seats, D, and'H.

kI shall hereinafterrefer to the orifice, D',

:as the solids orilice;-to the valve, H3, as

the solids valve ;-.-to the valve, I, as the fluids valve ;-to theorifice, H4, as the fuids orifices-and, to the part, K, as the scraper.

The use and operation of the'herein described preferred form or' myinvention, lwill be clear to those skilled in the art on a mere readinof the dra-win s and ma f be brieflyl described, as follows.: rI henormal positionsct the valves are depicted inFig. rlllhen water. and?steamv ent-er the trap casing ifi-om the radiator, the liuids passthrough the screen; while the solids are held back, upon the outside oitthe screen, and accumulate in the space, L, between the bottoms 0f thescreen and casing. The steam which enters, linds escape through theupper end of the tube, I, and thence downward through the orilices, H4and D. rlChe water is, held back by the closed solids valve, Il, at thesolids orilice, and by the liuids valve, I, at the orifice, H4, untilthe water rises far enough to lift the float, J, and liuids valve, I, asshown in Fig. l. Thereupon all the water above the door of the screen,discharges through the fluids orifice, H4,and itsv then continuation, D.This action of the float and valve continues intermittently at more orless frequent intervals according to the volume of the water receivedfrom the radiator. Obviously, the solids continue to accumulate in thespace, L, and are held back by the closed solids valve, H3.Occasionally, therefore, the solids should be discharged. To this endthe screen (while the solids valve, H3, remains on its seat) is rotatedwithin the casing by turning the hand wheel, F. The rotation of the rod,F, is communicated to the globular screen which is rigidly attached toit; 'and such rotation of the screen causes the scraper, K, to sweep thebottom of the casing, C, and loosen the solids. .Then the screen (andcontained parts) including the solids valve, H3, may be lifted by meansof the hand wheel, F. The opening of the orifice, D, in this mannerallows the solids to be swept therethrough by the water previouslyaccumulated in the casing. The casing having thus been cleared ofsolids, the valve, H8, is restored to its seat, by the lowering of thehand wheel, F and the connected parts.

When the described trap is to be used in a pressure system, I substitutean ordinary needle point valve for the tubularor hollow valve, I.

As various modilications of my invention will readily suggest themselvesto one skilled in the art, I do not limit my invention to the specificystructure herein shown and described, other than as set forth in theappended claims.

. Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The improvementherein described, comprising a steam trap casing containing an inletopening and having in its bottoni a solids discharge orifice, incombination with a solids valve normally closing said orifice and itselfcontaining a fluids discharge orifice normally communicating with saidsolids discharge orice, a duide valive normally closing` said: fluidsorilic'e, a float for. lifting said uids valve, means for lifting androtating said solids Ivalve and therewith said fluids valve and loat, ascreen mounted for movement with said solids valve and inclosing thefluids valve, t0 exclude solids therefrom, and a easing scraper fixed onsaid solids valve and screen.

2. The improvement herein described, comprising a' steam trap casinghaving a hoppered bottom containing a solids discharge orice, incombination with a solids discharge valve normally closin said oriice, ascreen formed upon sai valve, a( solids scraper attached to said screenand adapted to sweep the bottom of saidcasing, 15 said valve containinga fluids discharge orifice leading from the interior of 4said screen,and means for rotating, and lifting, said valve and screen.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 20 my hand this 12th day ofOctober, 1915.

` FRANK-C. STANFQRD.

@omen or thm patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing theGommissioner of Patenti,

Washimmon, D. @3'

